Currently, to find suspicious areas or lesions, one or more imaging systems are used to locate the area or lesion of interest and may be used to guide the biopsy probe of a biopsy systems to and/or near the area or lesion of interest. Subsequently, tissue samples are removed and often, particularly in the case of breast biopsy, markers are placed at the site of the lesion removal.
Existing biopsy systems such as the EnCor® biopsy system manufactured by SenoRx, Inc. (the present assignee) and other commercially available systems are “stand alone” biopsy systems. Diagnostic imaging systems such as an ultrasound, x-ray, MRI, PET, CT, Thermal, etc. are separate devices frequently requiring substantial “floor space” in patient treatment and/or diagnosis rooms in clinical settings such as clinician offices, breast centers, hospitals, etc. Portable imaging systems are available but they can require additional operators other than the physician or other medical practitioner who is performing the biopsy.